Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Senator Ayres. Australia is in a fuel crisis. Big oil companies, like BP, Ampol, Chevron, Shell and ExxonMobil, control fuel held at import terminals and how much is released to the spot market supplying independents that service the regions. Big oil is squeezing these suppliers, forcing regional service stations to raise prices. At the same time, big oil owns many service stations, mainly in the city, and is using regional price rises as an excuse to start gouging at their own outlets. Big oil is strangling regional independents and using those price hikes to justify price gouging in the city. If the government declared a fuel emergency under the Liquid Fuel Emergency Act 1984, it could force supply to the regions and stop the gouging. Will you declare an emergency to stop this extortion at the bowser, as One Nation has called for?